The Awakening

Alcée writes Edna an emotional letter of apology for upsetting her the night before, but this only irritates her, as she feels embarrassed for taking the kiss on her hand too seriously. After some consideration, she writes a light and playful letter in response. Alcée perceives Edna’s response as an invitation to further flirt and the two see each other nearly every day.

Edna now often goes to Mademoiselle Reisz’s apartment, because the pianist has a soothing effect on her. One day, she tells her that she doesn’t want to stay in their family house alone while Léonce and the children are away, and instead wants to rent a smaller house nearby. Edna hopes that she can sell her sketches and use the money to pay the rent. Mademoiselle Reisz is well aware that Edna is not telling her the full truth about her reasons to move out of the family house. Finally, Edna acknowledges that she wants to live in a different house because a new place will give her a sense of personal liberty.

Mademoiselle Reisz shows Edna the latest letter from Robert. He doesn’t suspect that the pianist is showing his letters to the woman he describes as being “not free to listen to him or belong to him” (210). Edna is stunned when she finds out that Robert will soon be returning to New Orleans. In response to Mademoiselle Reisz’s questioning, Edna admits for the first time that she loves Robert simply because she does. Edna does not intend to do anything upon his return; she will merely be happy that he is back.

The news fills her with joy and on the way home, she sends sweets to her sons, along with a loving note. Afterward, she writes a letter to Léonce, and nonchalantly shares her plans of moving out of the house.

In the evening of the same day, when Alcée visits Edna, he finds her in an exhilarated yet contemplative mood. Edna shares with his companion that sometimes she feels “devilishly wicked” (216) by conventional standards, yet she is not convinced that this is an apt description of who she really is. Alcée caresses Edna’s face as he listens to her talk about her latest visit to Mademoiselle Reisz. Edna recalls the moment when Mademoiselle Reisz put her hand on Edna’s back and warned her that “the bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition must have strong wings” (217), or it will “fall back to earth, battered and bruised” (217). Alcée wonders out loud where Edna wants to fly, and she replies that she is not thinking of any “extraordinary flights” (217). As they discuss this, Alcée is stroking her hair and face. Then he leans his face forward to kiss her and she responds by “clasping his head” (218). Alcée’s kiss is “the first kiss of her life to which her nature had really responded. It was a flaming torch that kindled desire” (218).

Alcee’s kiss leaves Edna with a storm of emotions. After he leaves, she cries briefly, and although she knows that what she’s doing is not right, she doesn’t regret her actions. She is much more concerned with the thoughts of Robert and her growing love for him. Suddenly, Edna feels as if the world around her has finally become clear, “as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life…” (220). She only regrets that her kiss with Alcée was the result of lust, and not of the kind of love that she feels for Robert.

Edna decides not to wait for her husband’s response and makes necessary arrangements to move out of the house. Her new home, the “pigeon house” (223), is a small building located right around the corner. When Alcée pays Edna a visit, she is already packing. She is determined to take only her own possessions and to leave behind everything her husband bought for her. She pays attention only to her packing and does not show any special affection towards her visitor. Alcée decides to help her and asks her about the going-away party she had planned. Edna responds that she will invite everyone to dinner the night before she moves into the small house. Arobin pleads for Edna to arrange a meeting for the two of them sooner, but she insists he wait until the dinner party, looking at him “with eyes that at once gave him the courage to wait and made it torture to wait” (224).